Praying with SFS

Studies in Salesian Spirituality

St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of Love of God and of neighbour, provided direction to many persons in their life of prayer. A man of prayer himself, he inspired and guided his directees with in valuable insights. It was his conviction that the quality of our prayer determines the quality of our lives. And the quality of Christian life is measured by the love one has for God, oriented to union with Him. Love becomes thus the centre of Christian spirituality, and the hallmark of Salesian spirituality. To one of his spiritual daughters, he wrote: “The best prayer or state of prayer is that which keeps us well occupied with God that we have no thought of ourselves or of what we are doing. In a word, we must go to prayer in good earnest, simply, artlessly, to be with God, lovingly uniting ourselves to Him. True love hardly needs a method” (Letter MCDXLI).

PRAYING WITH ST. FRANCIS DE SALES is the 5^th in the series of Studies in Salesian Spirituality published by the S.F.S. Publications. It presents an in-depth study on prayer according to St. Francis de Sales, in various aspects, both pastoral and theological. May it serve as a source of inspiration a n d help for everyone to pray with St. Francis d e Sales and arrive at a deeper experience of the loving presence of God within us, around us and in others.